Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT 100V 30 amp 12/24-Volt Solar Charge Controller (Bluetooth)

Haven’t actually hiked solar panels you, but did hook to my battery bank a set the units (2) up. The setup and networking via the iPhone app is awesome. I set mine up with on/off switches between the solar panel lines and controllers. Also setup an on/off switch between the controllers and the shared battery leads. I think this setup will be perfect and allow me to place a quick disconnect at my battery box for a portable unit or fixed while being stored in addition to my fixed rooftop unit to the second controller. I had heard a lot of really good reviews on the Victron units and so far I’m very happy with my choice.

I bought this for my first solar install-- 600 watts-- on a cargo trailer converted to an RV in spring of 2018. This unit was so painless and easy to configure and use that I purchased a second Victron as part of an identical twin solar setup Ive now installed in my home to power my computer stuff and TV. (Yes, this review was written on solar power.) Its ludicrously easy! My only quibbles-- not enough for me to take off a star-- center around the smartphone app. (In my case its the Apple version.) Its a good, well-organized app overall, but... First, if you have more than one controller in more than one location as I do, you have to close the app entirely between checking them or else the software seems to become confused and wont register the second controller. Also, I wish the smartphone could remember at least the last data it dowloaded, so that I could store the controller data from the trailers array and look at it later. As things are now I have to stand outside in the hot sun and study the arrays past performance, etc on the spot, as its only available while the bluetooth is actually connected. Update-- November 2018. Im still liking these very much, and have upped my home setup to 1200 watts at 24 volts nominal. The Victron controller is handling it fine.

I installed two of these solar charge controllers about seven days ago. They seem to be working great. I also installed Victrons smart phone application and was able to promptly update the firmware and monitor their measurements via Bluetooth on my phone. I would definitely buy these again.

I have three Victron controllers and I love them. Glad I went with Victron. The three I have are the SmartSolar type with Bluetooth. The controllers communicate and I can monitor all of them through their phone app.

Seems to work fine. I have the SmartSense battery monitor which this uses to get accurate battery voltage and that is really helpful since I have a ~20 wire run from my solar controller to my battery. But having now owned 4 different charge controllers in the last 7-8 years, I dont think Victron is worth the extra $. Heres why: First, you get zero support. Thats right, Victron will only provide support to certified resellers, so if you have a problem and you bought from Amazon guess what? Youre SOL. In my case I believe theres a bug in their charging algorithm, but I literally cannot talk to anyone at Victron directly. (That said their community support is great, but its not the same as actual technical support). Second, some of their really useful features (like being able to monitor charge voltage over time and graph it) only work if you disable screen lock and leave your bluetooth device (phone, typically) connected and running the app. Dont change apps because your graphs will reset. Why cant this run in the background? The unit does have daily stats but that doesnt help me when Im trying to understand why charging isnt cutting out as expected. My personal issue is that I have a LiFePO4 setup (which this device does support), but I want to cut off charging on my setup when the battery hits about 90%. The Victron has several settings to shorten the absorption times, all of which seem to work when I drain the battery and need to recharge it. However if the battery doesnt get drained one day and starts off full, the unit still goes into bulk mode for several hours and ends up topping off the battery. I assume this is a charging algorithm-related problem, but its disappointing behavior and defeats the reason I purchased the device.

This is a good little MPPT Controller, Bluetooth, efficient and does what its supposed to do . It also has a Load Output to prevent from draining your battery flat. My only gripe is the specs say the terminals can accept 10AWG or 6mm2. While a bare, stranded 10AWG wire will fit, if you use Ferrules, it will not fit in the terminal. The largest wire this controller will take with a Ferrule installed is about 12AWG. I use Ferrules on ALL connections that use a clamp down terminal. I never allow bare strand wire to be clamped down by the terminal. If you do this, it will smash the wire, spreading it apart, and not allow for a secure connection. Yes, it will work but, with the amount of vibration in a Boat or RV, the use of Ferrules will make for a more secure connection. I returned the 100-15 and purchased a 100-30 Smart Solar MPPT. The 100-30 is the smallest Controller that will accept 6AWG Ferrules. I use 4AWG wire and crimp on 6AWG Ferrules. Works perfect and when cut apart to inspect, the copper is so tight, its almost welded together from the amount of force the ferrules crimp down. FYI, the wire and crimp tools I use are from TemCo. While this controller doesnt need anything bigger than 12AWG wire, I always oversize my conductors for low loss and room for expansion (Future Proofed). Hope this helps someone make the proper choice for their application.

Summary: I have evaluated quite a few MPPT controllers for Vine, and while all were decent, the Victron Energy (VE) has high ratings, so I decided to purchase one for evaluation. My solar/PV system specs: 1000W of panels; 24-volt, 270Ah marine battery bank (Optima); Voltworks 2000W inverter. Using the system to reduce our electricity bill. This review is for the 100V/50A, which is the 2nd VE controller Ive purchased. Observations: The first thing to notice is that this one, unlike most others, does not have a control panel (just three LEDs); which means youll need a smart device to read the values. There are two basic VE offerings: this SmartSolar (built-in bluetooth), and BlueSolar (requires a BT dongle). Between the two, I went with the built-in BT (SmartSolar). One great feature of the VE system, is that it allows the MPPTs to communicate with each other via BT; which is a great feature for a larger system. Recommendations: One reason to choose the lower cost BlueSolar over the SmartSolar, is if you do not need the additional features that the BT brings; but for me, I didnt mind spending the extra $30-40 (per controller) to gain those features. Pros: Industrial quality & features; good application support (firmware updated upon first connect); security (bluetooth); good/efficient charging algorithm; good data and graphs. Cons: No built-in display (offset by the much better app and graphs). Conclusion: At $325, rating this 5-stars. Of all the MPPT controllers I have reviewed, Victron is the recommended brand. Related Products (lised in ORDER of HIGH to LOW rating): VICTRON ENERGY MPPT 100V 20 amp 12-24-Volt (Bluetooth) ~ $160 (5-star) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075NPQHQK EPEVER MPPT Solar Charge Controller 10A 60V PV 1206N ~ $60 (5-star) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094JCG6Y1 ACOPOWER Midas 40A MPPT ~ $180 (4-star) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HQB8RYK ACOPOWER MPPT Solar Charge Controller 30A ~ $140 (4-star) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NB1KOOZ Renogy Rover 20/30/40 Amp ~ $112/170/168 (2-star) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRWTAB5

These chargers are so versatile, especially when paired up with a simple 30-ish Volt power supply. Yes, Its a solar charger, but what most folks dont realize is that when used with a power supply you can charge nearly any 12 or 24 volt battery at any current rate from 1-15A that the power supply will support. Ive been using Victron Solar chargers for about five years. Back then they had external Bluetooth dongles to communicate with them. I never cease to be amazed at how well engineered and supported they are. Firmware updates are automatic via your cellphone and the VictronConnect app. The only caveat that Ive found with the new ones with the internal Bluetooth module is that the signal range is more limited. Other than that there is a lot of functionality built into one unit without the headache of extra parts. Put some SAE or PowerPole pigtails on the unit and make up a few adapters and youre ready to connect to nearly any kind of automotive, power equipment, or RV battery. The built-in data logging is a big plus in trying to diagnose charging system problems or determining the state-of-charge. You can also pair these up to increase your charging rate.

I had a Victron 75/15 MPPT controller that worked well but failed after 3 years. I replaced it with this, and I get more out of my 300 watt panel than I ever have before. It also has pre-sets for LiFePO4 batteries that I migrated to from AGMs in my Sprinter van. Works perfectly.

I already had one set of panels on a Victron controller. Im very fond of the Bluetooth connectivity to my phone. I can easily see how my system is performing by looking at an app on my phone. So when it came time for another set of panels - Victron controller seemed like a good idea. Still is.